1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shifting system for a motorcycle, and to a motorcycle incorporating the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shifting system having a shift link mechanism disposed between a shift spindle and a shift operation unit, and a motion capture mechanism disposed on the shift link mechanism, and to a motorcycle incorporating the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known shifting system for a motorcycle, which executes a gear shift by turning a shift drum in response to an operator operating a change pedal or by a shift actuator to axially move a shifting gear via a shift fork to allow the projection and recess of a dog clutch provided in the lateral surfaces of the shifting gears to be engaged to each other.
The known shifting system, as discussed above, may sometimes cause so-called dog-abutment, in which the projection of the dog clutch strikes against a portion other than a recess before being fitted thereinto. The occurrence of such dog-abutment may affect the operational feeling of the change pedal.
The Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Hei 1-116240 and the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-39865 disclose improving such an operational feeling of the change pedal.
According to the Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Hei 1-116240 (as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof), a motion capture mechanism provided with a pressurizing spring 10 includes a torsion coil spring installed on a shift shaft 5 turned by operation of a pedal 7. This can move the pedal 7 even at the time of dog-abutment. When the projection of the dog clutch is aligned with the recess, the projection of the dog clutch is fitted to the recess by the elastic force of the pressurizing spring 10.
According to the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-39865, shifting operation is executed by a shift actuator. As shown in FIG. 5 of the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-39865, a motion capture mechanism 67 for transmitting the drive force of an electric motor 54 as a shift actuator to a shift drum 48 via a coil spring 70 is provided to reduce a load on the electric motor 54 at the time of dog-abutment.
In the systems as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Hei 1-116240 and the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-39865, the provision of the motion capture mechanism increases a number components required for assembling shifting system, such as the torsion coil spring and the like located around the shift drum, which may probably increase man-hours required for assembling the shifting system. Further, in the system disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Hei 1-116240 and the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-39865, it is difficult to allow the shifting system to have general versatility for vehicles not provided with the motion capture mechanism.
The present invention has been made to overcome such drawbacks of existing shifting system. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a shifting system that can reduce number of man-hour required for assembling the shifting system, and which can be made versatile in relation to assembly thereof while providing satisfactory operational feeling of a gear shifting operation member during shifting of the gears.